More than 100 people marched through the streets of Hartford Monday morning in support of union rights and fair wages.

The crowd made up of local cooks and cashiers from fast food and other restaurants marched from the McDonald's on Albany Avenue to Center Church. The local effort was part of a nationwide strike in 300 cities including East Hartford, Manchester, New Haven and Waterbury. Organizers said the goal of the march was to stress the need for $15 an hour wages. It also called for union rights "in order to fix the economic and political systems in the U.S. that are rigged to benefit big corporations over working people," organizers pointed out.

Marchers held signs up with "$15 Now"; "Fight For $15"; and "For A Living Wage On A Livable Planet" written on them. Organizers said about 150 workers rallied outside the McDonald's and were joined by members of 32BJ SEIU, 1199 SEIU NE, CSEA Local 2001, the Working Families Party, the American Federation of Teachers Connecticut and many more labor and community organizations.

Organizers noted, the walkout in Hartford comes as the Fight for $15 and the Service Employees International Union join forces ahead of the 2018 election on a massive voter engagement drive aimed at unseating anti-worker politicians in battleground states and electing leaders who support a $15/hour minimum wage, union rights, universal health care, racial justice and immigration reform.